Many written languages, such as English, are read from left to right and written in the same direction. To write in such a language, a person holding a pen in their right hand (e.g., a right hander) drags the pen from left-to-right across a writing surface (e.g., a piece of paper). In contrast, a person writing with a pen in their left hand (e.g., a left hander) pushes the pen from left-to-right across the writing surface. The natural position of the pen in the left hand causes the pen to be inclined into the paper in the direction of writing and consequently aligns the pressure being exerted by the left hand against the paper with the direction of movement. This contrasts with a right-hander whose writing pressure is directed opposite the direction of movement across the page. These facts thus present a number of problems for a person holding a pen in their left hand while writing from left to right.
Similar problems may exist for a person holding a pen in their right hand while writing from right to left. There are a number of languages that are written in the right to left direction, including: Arabic script, Hebrew alphabet, Syriac alphabet, Samaritan alphabet, Mandaic alphabet, Thaana, Mende Kikakui, N′ Ko script, and Adlam. A right handed person holding a pen in their right hand and pushing the pen from right to left across a written page will experience the same problems as a left handed person holding a pen in their left hand and pushing the pen from left to right across the written page.
For example, as a pen is pushed by a left hand in a left-to-right writing direction, the left hand may be dragged across the face of the newly inked paper, causing it to smear. This is a function of the left-to-right direction of travel of the pen relative to the page. Moreover, the inclination of the pen against the paper, i.e., the left hand pushing the pen into the paper while holding the pen in the natural position, causes the tip of the pen to be jammed into the paper, which may cause the paper to rip. To avoid these problems, a left hander often compensates by repositioning one or more of their torso, arm, wrist, and fingers relative to place the pen at a desired angle relative to the writing surface. This physical repositioning comes at a cost to the writer, however, in the form of aches, pain, poor posture, and even carpal tunnel syndrome in prolonged cases.
Pens specifically designed for left handed writers are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,921 issued to the same inventor, discloses an embodiment in which only the tip of a pen is angled. It has been found that this arrangement creates an off-center pivot point and places the pen out of alignment with the central axis that is naturally present in writing instruments, making the pen somewhat uncomfortable and difficult to use.